Fat Tuesday

[DIna00]

Today is Fat Tuesday (Feb. 17th) in the states.

Are you going to do or eat anything to celebrate? Also do you plan to participate in Lent starting tomorrow?

I would love to get some authentic pączki however the stuff they sell in the markets around here are like dough bricks soaked in oil. I've also noticed they have Mardi Gras rings, something I haven't seen before.

Are you going to make or purchase anything special for today?

 

[Caribbean girl]

Well in my part of the world, today is known as Shrove Tuesday and not Fat Tuesday. This is a day when people make pancakes for breakfast, although I have not done any today.

Yes, I do plan to participate in Lent starting with Ash Wednesday tomorrow. At this time most people consider going on a fast, not for the whole period, but choosing a day or two each week to cut back on the amount of food they would normally eat. I would usually do this once a week.

I am not planning on purchasing anything special for today, however.

 

[Arch]

We'll have some pancakes for dessert after dinner tonight, just with sugar and lemon.

 

[ChowDownBob]

Today is Fat Tuesday (Feb. 17th) in the states.

Fat Tuesday? Is that a celebration of fat people and an excuse to eat whatever you like in mammoth proportions or is it aimed at eating more healthily and reducing the fat in your diet more permanently?

 

[DIna00]

Fat Tuesday? Is that a celebration of fat people and an excuse to eat whatever you like in mammoth proportions or is it aimed at eating more healthily and reducing the fat in your diet more permanently?

Lol, no, I believe it is English for Mardi Gras, which is also Shrove Tuesday. I believe it's labelled Fat Tuesday because it's tradition to east a bunch sweet and fatty foods that you intend to abstain from during Lent. Lent starts a fasting period, so Fat Tuesday is like your last day to pig out!

 

[Caribbean girl]

Lent starts a fasting period, so Fat Tuesday is like your last day to pig out!

This is interesting. I never thought of it that way. I heard about the pancake thing, but did not know what was so significant about pancakes. I guess pancakes contain fat stuff too, and then we put jam, syrup or honey on them as a topping. Anyway, the idea of fasting from these foods for a few weeks after today is a good one.

 

[ChowDownBob]

Lol, no, I believe it is English for Mardi Gras, which is also Shrove Tuesday. I believe it's labelled Fat Tuesday because it's tradition to east a bunch sweet and fatty foods that you intend to abstain from during Lent. Lent starts a fasting period, so Fat Tuesday is like your last day to pig out!

Ah, okay, so it's like Pancake Day in the UK (the unofficial name for Shrove Tuesday).

 

[CoffeeTalk]

I am in Scandinavia now, the Protestant world and Fat Tuesday and Ash Wednesday are more a Catholic tradition, but we celebrated FasteLaven on Sunday, the is the Eve of Fast , termed from German in mid-evil times. We made sweet buns with custard or creme with jam , So Lent has started in these parts it seems.
Had some Swedish friends who observe Fat Tuesday and Ash Wednesday. But we all are more into the carnival part.

 

[elles-belles]

Oh wow, fat Tuesday huh? So that's obviously in conjunction with pancakes Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday! Did most of you participate on this day, did you have loads pancakes and eat anything else you might want in preparations for Lent?

Do please share some of your pancake recipes. I haven't had some pancakes in a long while!

 

[Berties]

Shrove Tuesday is the day you indulge in the things you are giving up for lent , I've never heard it called Fat Tuesday before,as for pancakes I made some sticky toffee sauce and banoffee ice cream made with condensed milk and bananas for the family,and big pancakes

 

[JoanMcWench]

King Cake is a fun Mardi Gras tradition that isn't statewide in America. It's really a very southern thing to do. However, tons of fun to make. Here's a gorgeous one:

Basically it's iced Danish style dough that's braided with cinnamon inside (roll-like) and a has a plastic baby inside to (usually) symbolize who makes/brings the cake next year. fun tradition.

 

[queenbellevue]

I used to love fat tuesday when I was in Australia. There'd be lots of delicious pancakes to eat. It's such a shame that Vietnam doesn't have any such thing

 

[ChanellG]

King Cake is a fun Mardi Gras tradition that... really a very southern thing to do.
...Basically it's iced Danish style dough that's braided with cinnamon inside (roll-like) and a has a plastic baby inside to (usually) symbolize who makes/brings the cake next year. fun tradition.

King cake is my absolute FAVORITE thing - well, it's my only favorite thing about Mardi Gras. I had a single slice at a coffee house early, and then I devoured an entire one over a three day period a week or so later.

However, it's not iced Danish style dough. There's a contemporary version that has become popular in recent years. When I was a child there were two kinds, and both were basically a slightly sweet bread baked in a ring with colored sugar on top. One style just had colored sugar in purple green and gold (yellow) and the other had those three colors but also a section with colored sprinkles and a maraschino cherry.

 

[winterybella]

Well in my part of the world, today is known as Shrove Tuesday and not Fat Tuesday. This is a day when people make pancakes for breakfast, although I have not done any today.

Yes, I do plan to participate in Lent starting with Ash Wednesday tomorrow. At this time most people consider going on a fast, not for the whole period, but choosing a day or two each week to cut back on the amount of food they would normally eat. I would usually do this once a week.

I am not planning on purchasing anything special for today, however.

Well isn't that something? I never knew there was such a day in my country. Thanks for the education. This will force me to do some research. As for lent my approach to that is somewhat different from most but I would have to discuss that elsewhere.

 

[Caribbean girl]

Well isn't that something? I never knew there was such a day in my country. Thanks for the education. This will force me to do some research

I did not know about Shrove Tuesday either when I was a child, but I became aware of it when I got older. It is said that we learn something new every day. I was not even aware until a few days ago that it went by a different name. I used to hear about Mardi Gras but never knew that it had anything to do with Shrove Tuesday. As for Fat Tuesday, that was even more of a revelation. So I too was educated.